Device for dilling a container of the disposal type with a gas

ABSTRACT

A device for filling a container of the disposable type with a gas which includes a frame, a vertically movable container support attached to the frame and rotatable about a central axis, a bell attached to the frame and rotatable about the central axis, and a stationary center portion sealingly directed relative to the bell. The bell has a circular sealing portion on the lower extremity thereof eccentrically mounted with respect to the central axis which is connectable to the filling opening of a container. The stationary center portion is comprised of a sealing means and a filling pipe. The filling pipe is vertically movable and alignable with the circular sealing portion of the bell. The sealing means also is vertically movable and alignable with the circular sealing portion of the bell for capping the container after it has been filled.

United States Patent 1191 Coppens 1 Oct. 23, 1973 DEVICE FOR DILLING ACONTAINER OF THE DISPOSAL TYPE WITH A GAS Matheus Johannes MartinusCoppens, Heide-Kalmthout, Belgium [75] lnventor:

[73] Koninklijke Emballage Industrie Van Leer N.V., Amstelveen,Netherlands Filed: July 2, 1971 Appl. No.: 159,298

Assignee:

US. Cl. 53/88, 53/101 Int. Cl ..B65b 31/02 References Cited UNITEDSTATES PATENTS 12/1940 Darling 53/88 X 3,157,974 11/1964 Stanley et al.5 3/88 Primary ExaminerTravis S. McGehee Attorney-Stevens, Davis, Miller& Mosher [57] ABSTRACT tionary center portion sealingly directedrelative to the Field of Search 53/88, 94, 101; P

- bell. The bell has a circular sealing portion on the lower extremitythereof eccentrically mounted with respect to the central axis which isconnectable to the filling opening of a container. The stationary centerportion is comprised of a sealing means and a filling pipe. The fillingpipe is vertically movable and alignable with the circular sealingportion of the bell. The

"sealing means also is vertically movable and alignable with thecircular sealing portion of the bell for capping the container after ithas been filled.

1 Claim, 6 Drawing Figures Patented Oct. 23, 1973 (j Shouts-Shout. 2

Patented Oct. 23, 1973 6 SheetsSheet 5 The present invention relates toa device for filling a container of the disposal type with a gas, suchas liquid gas, said device being provided with a bell which may bepositioned in a sealing manner on the upper side of a container, saidupper side being provided with an opening, said bell being provided withmeans for supplying the gas as well as with a vertically movable sealingdevice with which a sealing may be placed and locked in the opening ofthe container after the filling operation. A device of this kind isknown from e.g. German Pat application No. 1.163.869, laid open topublic inspection, which refers in particular to the loading of anexpelling gas with a so-called aerosol container, filled with adifferent medium to be delivered. The loading of the expelling gasmerely requires an efficient sealing of the bellover thetop of thecontainer. to be filled and sealing under pressure. Aerosol containersof this kind usually have a small volume and the expelling of air beforethe loading of the generally inert gas is no problem. However, shouldthis be the case, e.g. when a container has to be filled with liquidgas, the known device is less suited for the object in mind.

It is knownfrom French Pat. No. 1.527.201 to fill a container of thatkind also under-a bell with a liquid gas, because the container has beenprovided beforehand with a tap which is opened primarily to evacuate thecontainer and subsequently for the supply of the liquid gas. As thiswill mean that the filling has to take place through the tinyorifice ofthe tap, said filling operation will take considerable time.

The object of the invention is to provide a device with which thefilling of containers with gas, in particular the filling with liquidgas, can take place fast while expelling with certainty the air beingpresent in the container.

In accordance with the invention, said object is achieved in that thebell is rotatable about a central axis of the device relative to thefilling and sealing means, said filling means consisting of a verticallymovable filling pipe, the central axis of which being at the samerafilling pipe said pipe is lowered close to the bottom of v thecontainer, as a resultof which the filling may take place from below andthe inflowing gas will expel the air, if any, that may be present. Thefilling pipe is then lifted again and the bell with the container can berotated to such an extent that the sealing means may be put intooperation to place a seal in the filling opening.

vThe invention will now be described more in detail with reference tothe accompanying drawings, which illustrate by way of example oneembodiment of the invention, wherein FIG. 1 up to 6 inclusive show thedevice according to the invention in various positions.

Said device consists of a frame l-with a table 2 with up and down,movement along the bars 1, said table may be operated by means of thecylinder 3. The table 2 has a table 5 being rotatable about the centralaxis 4,

on which table a container 6 is placed which has to be filled. A bell 7is located in the top of the frame 1, said bell being rotatable aboutthe central axis 8 which corresponds with the central axis 4. The bellhas a circular sealing portion 9 which may connect to the upper side ofthe container concentrically relative to the opening 10. The bell isrotatable relative to a stationary portion 16 which also is sealinglydirected relative thereto. Stationary centre portion 16 comprises thesealing means 11 and the filling pipe 12. Said sealing means may beoperated in a known manner by means of cylinders 13 and 14 and thefilling pipe may be moved up and down by means of cylinder 15. I

In the starting position illustrated in FIG. 1 the table 2 is movedupward until the sealing portion 9 will press tightly on the upper sideof the container 6. The bell and the rotary table are then rotated untilthe position is reached as shown in FIG. 2, in which'the fillinghole 10is positioned under the filling pipe l2.-Said filling pipe will then bemoved down, as shown in FIG. 3,

close to the bottom of the container to be filled. When the fillingoperation has taken place, the filling pipe will return again to itsstarting position, as shown in FIG. 4, whereupon the rotary table andthe bell, as shown in FIG. 5, will return to the position in which thefilling hole is located under the sealing means.

FIG. 6 illustrates the insertion of a cap which may then be secured inthe opening, e.g. by expansion in a v manner known as such. It is, thus,possible to fill containers of a large volume within a very short periodof time.

What is claimed is:

1. A device for filling a container of the disposable type with a gascomprising a frame, a vertically movable container support attached tosaid frame and rotatable about a central axis, a bell attached to saidframe and rotatable about said central axis, said bell having a circularsealing portion on the lower extremity thereof eccentricallymounted withrespect to the central axis which is connectable to the filling openingof a container and being sealingly directed relative to a .stationarycenter portion comprising a sealing means and a filling pipe, saidfilling pipe being vertically movable and alignable with the circularsealing portion of the belland said sealing meansbeing vertically mov-

1. A device for filling a container of the disposable type with a gascomprising a frame, a vertically movable container support attached tosaid frame and rotatable about a central axis, a bell attached to saidframe and rotatable about said central axis, said bell having a circularsealing portion on the lower extremity thereof eccentrically mountedwith respect to the central axis which is connectable to the fillingopening of a container and being sealingly directed relative to astationary center portion comprising a sealing means and a filling pipe,said filling pipe being vertically movable and alignable with thecircular sealing portion of the bell and said sealing means beingvertically movable and alignable with the circular sealing portion ofthe bell for capping the container after it has been filled.